Blessed to Be a Blessing

In one paragraph

Brad walked the congregation through Jesus' parable of the talents in Matthew 25, making the case that followers of Christ are not called to hold what they've been given but to put it to work for the kingdom. The sermon landed squarely on the question of what it looks like to be ready for Jesus' return, and the answer Brad kept coming back to was faithful, active service rather than cautious...

Read together

1. Matthew 25:14-30 the parable of the talents, the central text of the sermon
2. Matthew 22 the great commandment, love God and love your neighbor, cited as Jesus summarizing the law and prophets
3. Romans 14:23 whatever is not from faith is sin, applied to the third servant's fearful inaction
4. 1 John 4:16-19 God is love, perfect love casts out fear, we love because he first loved us
5. James 1 having joy in the midst of suffering, cited in connection with trials becoming blessings
6. Matthew 7:21 Jesus warns that some in the church will be revealed as false followers
7. Hebrews 13 leaders will be called to account for the souls entrusted to them
8. Romans 5 we have peace with God because we have been justified in Jesus
9. Revelation 21:5 he who sits on the throne said behold I am making all things new
10. Romans 12 closing benediction urging believers to offer themselves as living sacrifices, their true and proper worship

Talk about it

1. Brad said that blessings are meant to flow through us, not to us. Where in your own life do you notice yourself treating what God has given you as something to hold onto rather than something to pass along?
2. Brad described 'Deuce,' the servant with two talents, as someone who simply got to work without grumbling, even knowing someone else had been given more. Is there an area of your life where you find it hard to be faithful with what you have been given because you are focused on what someone else has?
3. Brad said that what doomed the third servant was not wrong action but inaction, and that whatever is not from faith is sin. How do you personally tell the difference between wise patience and the kind of fearful inaction the parable is warning against?
4. Brad drew a contrast between serving God out of fear and serving out of love, and said that fear is a powerful but unsustainable motivator. Which of those two has driven you more in your own walk with God, and what has the fruit of that looked like?
5. Brad closed by saying this is not a book club where we compare notes and eat coffee cake, and challenged everyone to leave knowing what they are going to do with what God put on their heart. What is one specific thing from this passage that you sense God calling you to act on this week?